Draw Me Like One of Your Hyperion Girls
by NeganGrimes
Summary: Rhys wants to take his skills to the next level ... his art skills, originally. (Art class AU!)
1. Chapter 1

Rhys had always seen himself as … creative. Not like, over-the-top, he knew he was no Da Vinci. But, he knew he had a pretty good hand for painting and drawing, and he wanted to start getting some real use out of it rather than just the occasional commission sale on the internet. So, he'd decided on art class. No, not some stupid high school grade art class where they taught you about the color wheel and the difference between hues and shades. But an art class where he'd be able to fully learn his technique, his style. The description on the class's site had even said it was focused on animated characters and background design, so it was perfect for him.

The site had said to bring a portfolio, so he gathered up his best pencil sketches and watercolors and acrylic paintings, along with his tablet, where most of his work was made. He liked to do fan comics for various little fandoms, along with whatever else he wanted to sketch, but the most money he ever got was when he took commissions and it's not like those got him a fortune. It's not like he was struggling or anything, his roomie and best friend Vaughn was totally loaded and helped out whenever Rhys needed. He felt bad for loitering on the guys shoulder though and didn't want to have to take advantage of him anymore. Rhys had a job that helped out too, but that was only a barista job at the nearest café in their town of Helios.

So, to the art studio it was. After putting on some black sweats and his old black and yellow college hoodie, he was out the door and into Vaughn's (borrowed, with permission) car. He was going to be sitting in a room filled with a bunch of teenage girls and creepy geeks, he knew he wouldn't have anyone to impress, and he wanted to be comfy dammit. It'd taken him a little longer than he thought to get there – Helios was so damn big it was hard to find anything in this city. But he'd finally pulled into the parking lot, and Rhys nodded at the sign hanging on the building. 'Heroes of the Arts'. Weird name, but not bad, and if it was centered on characters than the word heroes was probably fitting.

He stopped wasting time, climbing out of the car and making his way to the other side. It's not like he'd be late, actually he was pretty early but that's just cause he liked to be. To be honest he wanted to make sure he got a seat in the back of the room. There were only five other cars in the parking lot, one of them which Rhys had parked next to, and he couldn't help but admire it a little. He'd always had a thing for sports cars, but he knew he'd never be able to afford one in his damned life. So, he took the liberty of driving Vaughn's when he was able. This neighboring car was baby blue, the curves of the metal sleek and sultry and Rhys sort of wanted to run his fingers along it, but didn't want to be too weird. Hell, the windows were tinted to all hell, which kind of made him think whoever owned this might be a douche, but also reminded him they could probably be right inside it or something and Rhys wouldn't even know, so he quickly turned his attention back to Vaughn's passenger door. He opened it up, grabbing up his things after shoving his lanyard in his sweats pocket, and closed the door again.

"One hell of a car, isn't it kiddo?"

What the shit. Rhys had jumped, turning back to the other car, half expecting to see the window rolled down like someone had been in there all along after all. He furrowed his brows to see nothing though, and when he heard a quick whistle he glanced towards the building to see …

 _Oh._

The most beautiful man he'd probably ever laid his eyes upon.

The man looked about Rhys' height, it was hard to tell from his distance, but his perfectly messy styled dark hair gave him a few extra inches. He had a silver streak of hair, but to Rhys it just looked like more of a statement than anything, and black glasses that rimmed his (were they green? Or blue?) eyes. He wore a cream colored sweater that hugged his torso _deliciously_ , and some brown pants that did the same for his legs, and Rhys had to stop himself from licking his lips. He was standing proud, head up high with a hand on his hip, other hand holding something that must be a portfolio. A loaded one, at that. So was this guy another student? A guy like _that?_ Suddenly, he was regretting his choice of wardrobe.

"Yours is pretty damn fine too." Rhys wished this man wasn't talking about that car. "Christ, I might get myself one of those. Where'd you find it at? The Hub?"

"Uh ..." How should he answer that? He didn't want to come off as a lame ass who borrowed his friend's flawless car, but he also didn't want to lie … "I'm not really sure," he shrugged then. At least with that it could go both ways.

The man tsked, but made his way over, and it looked like he was headed straight for Rhys before he got to the driver's side of the other vehicle, and the auburn haired male quickly scooted to the nose of the cars to give the other room. "Shame. Eh, I'll find it somehow," the man commented, going silent for a second while he seemed to shuffle things around in the car a little before standing straight again. So maybe Rhys had been checking out his butt, but now his eyes were meeting the other's again after noting he'd switched out portfolios. Must have grabbed the wrong one. Which was impressive because they had both been stacked and the fact that he had multiple said something.

"Can I … Can I see some?" Rhys asked then, sheepishly, pointing a finger towards the large envelope-like thing in his hands.

The man glanced towards the studio, seeming to think for a moment before nodding and walking a little closer to Rhys, laying the portfolio down on the hood of his blue car. Now that they were closer the younger looking man could see they must really be the same height, and getting a glimpse at his features he noticed his eyes were in fact blue _and_ green. That was … hmm. Calm down Rhys. It didn't help that his cologne smelled like the best mix of maple and cinnamon, and not that overbearing husk kind of scent that other guys usually went for. But, he was opening up the portfolio now, and it only took Rhys seeing the first piece for him to be in awe, staring for a good few seconds before the man turned to the next work.

"Wow, that's … these are … incredible," Rhys praised, and when he saw the slight breeze threaten to rip the papers away from the car he was moving a hand over to help hold them down, their hands close enough to have the kid's heart racing. This was embarrassing. What was he, in high school? Just _looking_ and somebody and _being next to them_ should not turn him on this much. Grow up, Rhys.

"Thanks, pumpkin." _Pumpkin?_ Oh lord he wouldn't survive this. "I mean, this is the old stuff, so I figured I'd bring this in for now so that I stoop down a little closer to everyone else's level," the guy snorted, and oh. That sounded douchey, which confirmed his thought about the window tint, but it didn't turn him on any less.

Rhys just nodded, as the tanned man allowed him to flip through a few more of the pieces before the portfolio was folded back up again and tucked under his arm. "Anyways, let's get inside, huh? Looks like it wants to rain. The weather in this city, I swear," the other scoffed, and Rhys couldn't help but laugh. Yeah, the weather was pretty bad in Helios. The guy turned and headed inside, and Rhys followed along like some puppy begging to be taken in.

That's when Rhys realized he was missing one minor detail. He knew why he thought of it then. The rain made him think of cozy inside days, and cuddles, and then cuddles that would lead to other things that he wanted to do with this man – which took him to this. "I'm uh, I'm Rhys, by the way."

"Rhys," the man repeated, as if trying the name out for himself, before giving a quick nod. "I like it. I'm Jack." And this man, Jack, looked back and smirked, a smirk that had blood flowing to two places on Rhys' body. He offered a quick smile in return, before the brunette was looking away again and Rhys scowled at himself. _Idiot._

He played with the corner of his own portfolio, mentally scolding himself until they'd reached the door of the building. Jack walked in and held it open, and the thought that he must not be totally douchey crossed his mind as he murmured a small, "Thanks."

"Ya' know, your butt would look a lot better if you weren't wearing those sweatpants, cupcake," Jack remarked from behind, and Rhys couldn't help but sputter. He whipped around, eyes wide, gawking at the older man who seemed to hesitate before bursting into a fit of laughter. "It's a compliment! Just wear a nice pair of jeans next time. Not black – they'll wear your shape out," he smirked.

How – How was he supposed to respond to that? 'Oh, yeah, thanks for the advice, never knew.' 'Do you want to come over to my place and see it without the clothes next time?' Yeah, no, neither of those. So he just flushed, staring at the man for a second before turning again and heading further inside. He wasn't exactly sure where he was even supposed to go, but he was guessing the big sign that said 'enter if you dare' next to an illuminated door was his answer.

When he turned the corner, he saw seven people were in the room so far. Two blonde girls, must be twins. They glanced over and grinned, though it seemed to be more so aimed at Jack who walked in behind him. There were three teenage boys, all grouped in the same area, so they must have carpooled or just became buds that fast. Pfft. The only friends Rhys ever knew how to make that fast were ones that complimented his butt apparently. Then there was the creepy geek looking guy the auburn haired male would predicted, but he looked really kind, and since he was seated in the front of the room he could get a good glance at this currently displayed portfolio, and it looked really well done. Lastly was some emo kid in one of the two back corners, but that's okay, because the last back corner seat left was near a window, perfect for Rhys. He could use the thoughts of the outside world instead of … Well. The dirty thoughts of the guy he just met. Anyways, he didn't see the teacher yet, but that was fine, just meant he had time to get his things set out and look all impressive before he got in here.

He headed for the back and set his portfolio on the easel, plopping down on the padded stool, and glanced over when Jack sat down right next to him. Oh, great, so he was going to sit _there_? Well wasn't this just magnificent, he'd never be able to focus on his art now. He didn't seem to put his portfolio up though, keeping it in his (big, firm, daydreamable-) hands.

"Have you met the teacher yet?" Rhys inquired after a second, turning his attention elsewhere as he grabbed up his tablet and turned it on. Okay, well, his attention was still far too much on Jack, but at least his eyes were somewhere else.

The café barista noted the few long seconds of silence, which seemed uncharacteristic from what he'd gotten out of this guy so far. Rhys was pretty sure the brunette loved the sound of his own voice, which shouldn't be hot, but it still was. The younger man glanced over curiously, just in time for Jack to nod and spit out a laugh.

"Yeah. You'll like him. He's like the McDreamy of the art world," the older mused. Grey's Anatomy reference? Nice.

"And what does that make you? McNaughty?" Rhys replied sarcastically. He hoped the teenagers in the room weren't paying any attention.

He earned an appreciative seeming laugh from Jack, before he was sent a wink that had the kid's cheek tinting a red that was probably more than just a little visible. Dammit. "You know it, Rhysie."

 _Rhysie._

He was going to faint.

He licked his lips and turned his attention back to his tablet again, trying to clear his mind of any inappropriate thoughts as he pulled up the folder he'd hade specifically for this class. He stared at the screen, hesitating a moment, before he was reaching an arm out and offering it over to Jack.

"I know you're like … a god at art," he heard a chuckle then, "so it might not be great compared to your stuff but … is it okay at least?" Rhys questioned almost sheepishly, raising a brow lightly. The older man didn't hesitate to take the device from Rhys' hand, and the kid had to tell himself to chill when their fingers brushed briefly.

It took a while for Rhys to get an answer, maybe five minutes. He wasn't sure if that made him happy that Jack must be looking that thoroughly or scared shitless that he must be criticizing him that much. He'd distracted himself in the meantime, one, so he stopped working himself up over the answer, and two, so that he wasn't sitting there staring at Jack. He'd noticed six more people had come in, mainly filling the front, and that there were about five more minutes until the class started. And still no teacher? What the hell had his name been … John? Damn you John for cursing Rhys to spend more time with this gorgeous piece of art next to him. And he wasn't talking about anything in a portfolio.

"It's good." Good? Good didn't sound good, but okay. Jack seemed to pause on a certain picture for a few seconds before swiping to another one. "Your style is really nice, but a little inconsistent. I have a feeling you know that though, otherwise why would you be here," the man commented. "And hey, the storyline is good too."

Wait. Storyline? What was Jack … Oh. _Oh._ Oh fuck.

"Y-You – you weren't supposed to look in the other folders!" Rhys quickly protested, face flushing all sorts of red. He snatched the tablet from Jack's hands, who gave a little snicker. "Shut up! It's not funny," he huffed. It was one thing showing this ten out of ten hottie his _appropriate_ folders. He was like perfect at that he did and Rhys felt stupid thinking he could be any sort of artist when guys like Jack existed. But there was stuff in there that he didn't want the daddy material guy that was flirting with him to see – not really the story he was talking about, no. But, if he'd went through that folder than the younger male was sure he'd went through others. Fuck.

"Aww, now don't be _mean,_ kitten," Jack said, though his voice was practically a purr that almost had Rhys falling out of his seat. Not to mention the pet name. Literally. It seemed he'd opened his mouth to speak again, nut was interrupted when an alarm went off in the front of the room. Jack tsked, glancing forward before looking to Rhys again. "Looks like we'll have to chit-chat later," he murmured, sending the auburn haired another wink.

That statement totally confused Rhys. He did not see Jack as the type to actually just up and listen during any type of class, but whatever. He felt himself grow a little disappointed, but quickly pushed that away after telling himself he'd be able to focus better this way.

But wait.

Rhys was even _more_ confused when the brunette stood from the neighboring stool and made his way to the front of the room. What? He wasn't even going to sit back here?

 _Oh my god._

"Alright, my little minions," Jack's voice bellowed as he walked up to the front of the room, and Rhys had to stop himself from jumping. "I'm John, but _don't_ call me that, just call me Jack. No 'Mr.'s or 'sir's or anything like that are allowed to be heard in this building. Capisce? Okay."

Rhys' jaw was held open. His teacher had totally been flirting with him. His teacher that he was scheduled to spend the whole spring around. Three months. For three months he was supposed to see this guy twice a week. He might as well dig his own grave now.

Nobody really spoke for the next minute or so, just putting their music away or putting their best work out on display as Jack went to his desk to turn on a radio and grab up a mug that Rhys was pretty sure said 'these lattes suck'. Alright. The kid watched as Jack – John? – Jack leaned against the edge of his desk, mismatched orbs going straight for Rhys.

Oh. Oh no. Don't do that.

He quickly ducked his head behind his portfolio, taking a breath and scowling at himself. Maybe he should back out now. He was never going to get anywhere with his art if he had to stare at Jack each class. Well … maybe the guy would serve as some nice inspiration? No, shut up, he definitely would not, dammit Rhys.

"Now that everybody's got all their shit out, I'll explain what we've got going on. I'm not gonna' teach you anything today. I'm going to go through your portfolios and see if you're worth it, and if you're not, buh bye to you. Don't give me any attitude either. While I'm doing that, you guys are gonna' be working on something – doesn't matter what, sketch, painting, yada yada, but I need to see how you guys work under a limited amount of time. You guys have two minutes to decide what you're doing and then I better see all of your asses working."

With that, Jack tapped on the edge of his desk twice, and everybody started pulling out whatever they'd need to work. Some people pulled their easels down and tilted them until they formed a desk, and Rhys knew that's probably what he should do, but instead he kept hiding. This felt exactly like he was back in high school, and he hated it. At least he'd never had a crush on the teacher before.

Wait. N-Not that he did now – totally didn't. Okay, maybe. But he'd read somewhere that crushes only last like three months, so as long as Jack didn't flirt too much more, it'd be perfectly fine. It'd wear off in no time.

"Ya' know pumpkin, when I said everybody needed to be working, I meant you too," came a sudden voice, and Rhys could smell the maple and cinnamon again. As if Jack wasn't yummy enough already.

Shut up.

"I have at least another minute," the younger managed to comment, and the brunette snorted.

"Right right. Well, at least stop gripping your portfolio like you will be with my shirt in no time, and let me see it."

What – Rhys gawked at Jack for probably the third time, and was met with a smirk that kind of made him think this guy could eat him alive any second. He was quickly looking around then, making sure no one overheard – and thanks to the music in the background no one had seemed to.

But that's when he realized the song on right now was 'Cake by the Ocean' and he couldn't help but imagine him and Jack performing that little innuendo before he was quickly clearing his throat, loosening his grip on the portfolio and handing it over.

"You had to start with _me?"_ Rhys scoffed, remembering the old school days and how he'd dreaded when the teachers would do this to him back then. Well, at least he wasn't getting graded anymore.

"Well, I'd already went through your tablet, and most of the people are up front, so I figured this'd be easiest," Jack commented, and Rhys huffed. "Now get that bratty teenage look off your face before I smack it."

It took the man a few minutes to look through everything thoroughly, and he'd ask Rhys a question every now and then, before he was finally handing everything back again. "Good, same things I already said, plus we need to work on your crisp edges on paintings. Now, get those hands working."

Rhys wouldn't comment on that last part, so he just nodded, watching as Jack went to the next person. What should he even draw? He wouldn't try painting at this point, too much work in this amount of time, and with his current lack of concentration. So, he decided to just draw the two main characters from his comic, since it's the easiest and fastest thing he knew how to do, turning his tablet back on and pulling the stencil out of the top.

First he drew little stick figures for positioning, slowly adding the joints and then the outlines of the bodies and hair. Then he got to the faces, working on placement, and then the rough outline of the clothes. He couldn't help but look to Jack every now and then, watching how he'd point to someone's work and then flash a quick smile before moving to the next. It didn't seem he'd given anyone else that smirk from earlier, and Rhys almost felt a little … relieved. He wasn't going to think about why.

It took him a little bit to notice, but Jack would glance back at him a lot too. It's not like the guy was hiding it, hell no, he'd smirk to his ears whenever him and Rhys would connect gazes. And of course, Rhys would get embarrassed and quickly look back to his tablet every time, and he was sure he'd always hear a faint chuckle from across the room.

Somehow, the time went by faster than Rhys anticipated. He'd gotten his work done though, even rolling on some quick color before the older man was calling attention to the whole class. "Alright, kiddos. Anything dry, hang it up on the wall, anything wet, put it in the racks. Anything digital, my email's on the front board and you can just send it there."

Jack's email? Rhys wondered if it was personal or work. Not that it mattered … He was just sending his picture in. But so was everyone else… Ugh, it didn't matter. After getting his work into a draft and getting the email on the board into the send bar, Rhys wondered if he should say anything with it. Would that be weird? Probably, but still, after three minutes of sitting there and typing out a bunch of different stuff before he'd delete it all again, he realized some people had already left, and others were packing up. Shit.

He just put his name in the subject before he'd hit send. Oh, yeah, and maybe a winky face. Before he let himself regret it, he was packing his few things away and setting the easel back up before standing. He'd thought he was going to be able to slip out, easy-peasy, but Jack's phone buzzed as Rhys neared the doorway and he soon heard a loud laugh erupt from behind him.

"Oh, cupcake! And here I thought you'd play hard to get."

Rhys stopped before he got to the doorway. He'd told himself not to, but his body didn't want to listen to his head, and he'd turned and side stepped so that the last person could leave the room. Now it was just Rhys and Jack. Alone. In the whole building in just about a second. Oh fuck.

The younger male gulped. He didn't know what to say, and the brunette was just sitting there, arms crossed, looking like he was totally eye-fucking Rhys right now. Which he was totally okay with, by the way, but he'd much rather it be literal. He was done trying to deny it to himself. He totally wanted to be underneath this hunk.

"I don't play hard to get…" Rhys murmured after a few seconds, eyes scanning the empty room before looking to Jack again. "When I want someone, I let them know."

The teacher looked surprised. He'd blinked once, and cocked a brow, before that all too familiar smirk was playing out over his lip. "You trying to tell me you've let me know?" The man purred, one hand going to tap at his phone in reference.

Before he could overthink, he nodded. He shifted the portfolio around to the other arm, tablet shoved into his hoodie pocket, before shrugging. "But I don't want long. So don't make me." He was so glad his adrenaline gave him random confidence. And his dick.

"Ohohoh, I would never, princess," Jack hummed, grabbing up a pen. He approached Rhys, and the kid tensed a little, watching the guy grab his wrist and pull his sleeve up before scribbling what he knew was a phone number down on his arm. "I'd just love to strip you right here right now baby, really, but I've got another class in ten. So why don't you give me a buzz before our next session, huh?" The older murmured, leaning in close, and Rhys could almost taste the maple this time.

"Yeah," the kid sighed out, searching Jack's eyes for a good few seconds before lowering his head. Jack chuckled, before Rhys felt a hand grope his ass and he gave a totally manly yelp before he was turned around and pushed towards the doorway.

"Now go home, I've got things to do that I actually need my concentration for," Jack mused, and Rhys didn't say anything else before he was heading out of the building and practically falling into the seat of Vaughn's car.

This wasn't something he usually did. Maybe only twice as far as he could remember, and hell, he'd never even dated anyone as hot as Jack before. He … hoped this went well, but weren't these things bound to fail. Right? God, he hoped not.

He didn't know how he'd managed to get home without crashing, and he was thankful that rain that was supposed to come didn't yet otherwise he probably would have. When he got home, he parked the car like an asshole so that no one else could park too close, just like Vaughn wanted, before making it up to the third floor of the building and getting into their apartment. He'd just sort of slinked in, still process most of what had went on before spotting his roommate in the living room.

"Hey… Vaughn?" Rhys started, as he placed his things on the coffee table for now and flopped on the couch next to his bed. He was met with a bright smile, before realization crept over the shorter man's features.

"No. Let me guess. You want to have someone over," Vaughn commented, and Rhys gave a nervous little smile. It was embarrassing, but it was pretty amusing that his friend could always tell these things so easily.

"I'm not sure exactly which day yet but … yeah. And I think we're going to …"

"Okay, okay, I'll pass it by Yvette," Vaughn laughed. "Art class?"

"Yeah, he's … the teacher," Rhys coughed, earning a playful punch on the arm. "To be fair he started it."

"Well, you have fun with that. Just not on the couch, please, keep it in your own room," Vaughn mused.

Right. Okay. He got the permission he needed. Which sort of made it official, he had to call Jack before the weekend …

Fuck.


	2. Chapter 2

Rhys laid there in his bed, staring at the sticky note he had pasted to the wall Monday night. It was Jack's number, of course. He'd washed it off his arm after putting it onto the little neon yellow paper, but he was too freaked out to actually put the damn number in his phone where it should be. This was already more official than he thought it'd be, it was too weird too think that it could get any more official.

Speaking of official. They weren't boyfriends or anything, Rhys knew that much. He'd feel disappointed, but he wasn't going to complain about getting screwed by this guy. The fact that Jack had said he was about ready to strip Rhys in an art studio didn't exactly scream 'romantic relationship' to him. But it was fine.

He couldn't help but wonder if Jack really was any sort of romantic, though. His personality suggested no, but his clothes suggested yes. A sweater? Cream colored? Rhys didn't know, that had just seemed … sappy to him. He couldn't even imagine the older guy laying someone down on a bed all gentle though, in a moonlight bedroom, scent of candles in the air as he'd rock his hips slowly into – yeah, okay, point was, he just couldn't see it. Especially not when he offered sex to one of his students.

Wow, he really hoped Jack had never been any real kind of teacher before. That was a little concerning, but Rhys made himself stop thinking about that.

Suddenly, the kid's phone went off near his head, he'd jumped a little, but pushed that to the side as he grabbed the thing up and glanced to the lit screen.

Wed., March 8th, 8:38 AM - BRO

 **You know you have work in like 20 mins right?**

Oh shit. Rhys scrambled out of bed, grabbing up a green slip over hoodie and a pair of black jeans – he thought about grabbing some khakis instead but quickly pushed Jack's perverted advice away as he made his way to the bathroom. He was pissed he didn't have time to shower, he was kind of hoping to … blow off some steam, but at least he'd taken one last night so that he didn't actually need to get cleaned up yet. After brushing his teeth and washing his face up, he stripped and slipped on his clean clothes, and since he didn't have enough time to gel his hair back he settled for slipping a light brown headband on. It was a pretty nice replacement for keeping his hair the way he liked it, and the college girls that came into the café seemed to like it, not that he was even into girls. But the compliments were nice. He pulled a piece or two out of the front to rest on his forehead before quickly grabbing up his phone and making his way out to the living room where he found his best friend typing away at his laptop.

"Vaughn, I need –"

"—to borrow my car, I know it bro. Don't be late for work," the brunette said, glancing back and giving the taller male a grin.

Rhys smiled back, calling back with a, "You're the best," as he made his way to the entryway to slip on his shoes. He grabbed up the car keys and slipped out the apartment door in no time, taking the stairs all the way down since he knew it'd take too long to wait for any damn elevators in this city. He was panting by the time he was outside, before getting into the car and heading off to work.

He got to the café at about three minutes to nine, by some miracle. After getting inside he marked his time, slipped his nametag onto his hoodie and was quickly to get behind the counter. He gave a grin seeing his coworker Sasha, someone who he'd become quick friends with upon meeting, and since the shop had just opened up and there were no customers yet, they took the time to chat while they got the very last things set out for the day.

"Thanks for leaving me to take care of everything this morning," the girl shot over with a grin, only teasing college grad who gave a huff in response.

"Sorry, I've just had … stuff on my mind," the kid muttered, hand going to scratch at the back of his head before he fiddled with the napkin dispenser. "There's this new guy. We're not dating or anything, but he gave me his number so we could … you know," Rhys murmured, embarrassed, but he knew he could trust Sasha. They'd been friends for about a year and a half now, ever since Rhys started working as a barista.

"Ooo, sounds hot," she chirped. "Where'd you meet him?"

"Oh that's the fun part. It was at that art class I just started – he was being all flirty with me and then when class finally started we walked up to the front of the room and started barking orders. I'd thought he was another student," Rhys said, and as flustered as it made him he couldn't help but give a little smile, and Sasha laughed.

"Well, as long as it doesn't slow you down helping me here," the coworker shrugged. "Oh, right, speaking of new people. We've got a new girl coming in in about an hour, she was going to be in earlier but her car doesn't handle the puddles well I guess and she had to wait for a ride. Do you want to train her or handle the customers today? Vasquez said he didn't care wither way."

Rhys hesitated. Was he really in the right focus to be able to tell someone how to properly do their job today? A guilty expression came over the auburn haired's face, and when Sasha noticed, she just laughed.

"Okay, I got the newbie. You worry about the others," she hummed, before the front door was giving a jingle and a group of people, all clad in black and yellow Hyperion University attire, was entering. It was the usual college kids out from an early-as-all-hell class, and they looked well in need of some caffeine, so the pair got to work on taking orders.

An hour passed by pretty quickly, as the café had already filled up and customers were bustling through. Sasha was still helping out while they were down one new guy, or well, he guessed girl, but that changed when he heard Sasha speak from a few feet away.

"She's here, Rhys. Got the rest on your own?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it," he smiled. It was a little past ten now so any of the early students had left, and others were probably in the middle of class right now. There were still a good few people in the building though, and someone was coming in about every three to five minutes with an order. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

Since he had a minute, he decided to glance over to the door, which was swinging open to reveal what Rhys could only guess was his new coworker. She looked like a high schooler, or maybe a little older, eighteen or nineteen he'd guess. Her sleek black hair was up in a pretty cute messy bun, pale skin covered in a thin layer of makeup, dressed in a grey sweater and black leggings that showed off her figure nicely. Overall she looked really cute and seemed like she'd be a nice addition, but at the moment, her face looked more than just a little displeased.

"I _get_ that, but don't you think I'm a little _old_ for your pestering now? I don't even live with you anymore for Christ's sake," the girl huffed, and it didn't take long to realize someone had walked in behind her, and …

 _Holy. Fucking. Shit balls._

No. This was not happening. No way no how this was real. He was probably still at home sleeping, having some ridiculous nightmare. Rhys turned from the counter and hit himself in the head a few times. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up! _Fuck!_

'Angel, princess, c'mon. You know I'm just trying to –"

"Well stop trying, dad! I'm tired of it," the teen said, exasperated, as she turned on her heel to face her father.

Rhys had to say, the look that crossed Jack's, of course it was Jack's, face, was never one he thought he'd see. He looked hopeless, as he huffed out a laugh of disbelief and let his eyes scan the room to see all the people his daughter had just humiliated him in front of. And of course, his eyes landed on Rhys, who was standing there staring at him, concerned for this slight douchebag he'd only just met and gotten his number for sex.

Hey, other than that, his outfit made him look just as delectable as Monday. His rimmed glasses were instead replaced with a pair of sunglasses, which he'd switched up to rest up over brunette waves as if to make sure it was really Rhys. Light blue jeans were tight on the thighs, white t-shirt, topped off with a black leather jacket. God, he just looked like a greaser that Rhys wanted to push down over the hood of his fancy car and ride—

Jack seemed to let this become his obvious turning point, as he gave that smirk that told Rhys he might get eaten again, and not in the good way. Okay, maybe in the good way, he didn't know what this guy was into yet. The kid's features automatically shifted from concern to well. A different kind of concern, and he scrambled around to try to find something to do as Jack left his huffy daughter (who scoffed before being lead to the back by Sasha) to come meet the kid at the bar.

"Rhysie, Rhysie, Rhysie," he purred, leaning his elbows over the marble as his eyes raked over the younger's figure. "You took half of my advice at least."

"I wore what I wanted to wear," the kid corrected, but to be honest his voice was a little gentler than he intended, this guy did just get dissed by his daughter after all. "It didn't have anything to do with you."

"Of course it didn't," Jack responded sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Just like your sad little face isn't cause you feel bad for me, amiright? It happens, I'm over it." By the tone in the man's voice, he doubted that. "You'll figure out what it's like when you get a kid."

"I am _not_ getting a kid," Rhys protested.

It earned a cock of a brow from Jack, and a, "Why not?" which had Rhys sending a _look_ towards the older man. "Oh. So you're all dicks and no chicks huh?" He mused, giving a laugh when the auburn haired male's cheeks heated up. "You seemed like a pretty white playboy to me. But your butt was just too great for you to be totally straight."

"I'm at work. Could you try not to get me fired?" Rhys sighed. "Anyways, I'm not a playboy," he pouted.

"So you're telling me I'm just that special?" The brunette cooed, smirking his usual smirk before Rhys rolled his eyes, cheeks heating up again nonetheless.

"I haven't even gotten ahold of you yet," the kid pointed out. "Don't push your luck."

"Oh, I don't need luck, not with you baby," Jack hummed. "I've already got you wrapped around my finger. It's just a matter of time before—"

"Dad, could you please just _leave_ ," came Angel's voice, and the two glanced back to see the girl pinning a new nametag to her sweater. "And stop flirting with him. He's like my age, that's weird."

Wow. This girl was not very nice was she?

He glanced to Jack again, biting down on his lip, watching as the guy eyed his daughter before glancing to the counter top and then Rhys again. The kid was really hoping that didn't just change his mind about this whole thing, but that's not what he was more concerned over right now. He probably couldn't make that obvious, though.

"How about … How about tonight?" The kid offered in a hushed tone. "I'll send you my address." God, he felt like such a prostitute. Hey, but Jack seemed like, disgustingly rich, he'd probably pay a lot for that - Shut up Rhys. Well, at least Angel was temporarily distracted with Sasha and couldn't hear him.

"Tonight sounds fantastic," Jack purred then, punctuating the last word. "How does eight sound?"

"Eight sounds good. Now get lost before I lose my job," Rhys shooed, not being able to help the slight smile he gave. Or his blushing cheeks. There went his concentration for the rest of the day.

Jack stuck his tongue out playfully before giving a two finger salute and turning, only giving one last quick glance to his daughter before he was out the door. Rhys sighed, worrying his bottom lip, before glancing over to the ebony haired teen.

"So what was that … all about? If you uh, don't mind me asking," he said curiously, and Sasha glanced at the girl like she was interested to know too.

The palest of the three rolled her eyes, before her expression softened a little and she sighed. "He's never been a very good dad. Left me with my mom until I was thirteen and then swoops in like he's the hotshot number one dad of the world," she said, the last part a little sarcastic. "Mom died a year after that and he's been acting like she never existed ever since then. Acting like he's been around me my whole life. It's stupid, and selfish, and I hate him. If my stupid cheap ass car would go through one raindrop without breaking down then I wouldn't have to worry about it," she sighed, deciding to finally grab up some dirty dishes off the counter as he did so, setting them in one of the silver bins that she'd probably haul to the back in a minute. Sasha had told her how things go down pretty fast, huh?

"Has he explained himself yet?" Rhys questioned, trying not to act too concerned because hey, he'd just scheduled for this guy to come over to his house and he didn't want anything going wrong.

"Tch. No. I mean, I haven't really let him but –"

"Woah. You haven't let him? Angel, that's like, really not good," even Sasha inquired with a concerned expression.

"Yeah. I mean, usually there isn't any good explanation for deadbeat dads like that, but there's always a possibility," Rhys commented. He kept his tone gentle though – he didn't want the girl to think she was being criticized. He'd probably be the same way of one of his parents acted like that towards him. "Give him a chance. If he's at least trying now, that's got to mean something right?"

"I don't know. I just feel like he's using me. You guys haven't ever met him before so it's not like you'd know."

Technically, that was incorrect. He was about to point that out too, but if he told the teen that he was spending a lot of the spring with this guy than she probably wouldn't trust to tell him anything else. Plus, he'd only seen him once before, so he guessed it didn't really count anyways.

They ended it there, and Rhys just gave the girl a little pat on the shoulder for encouragement before they were separating again. Things were a bit slower until lunch time, and they exchanged some casual words and properly introduced themselves between then, but once the lunch hour hit none of the three got a break again until it was time for all of them to switch out.

Fiona got in for her shift first, and they let Angel head home. Sasha had offered her to give her a ride, insisted really, but the girl said she wanted to avoid getting home for as long as possible just in case her dad was waiting around her apartment to have a talk with her. Rhys had just sort of glanced away, a little disappointed with the girl's protest to fix her relationship with her father. Jack didn't seem _that_ bad, a little douchey sure, but it definitely didn't seem like he deserved such treatment from a girl who only knew one half of the story. He just told himself to stop thinking about it, though. He was the guy's sex buddy, or he would be soon, so it wasn't really his business.

Next to get into the café was August. He'd shot Sasha a brilliant smile as soon as he spotted her, and both Rhys and Fiona rolled their eyes before muffling some laughs. They both knew that the two had a thing going on, and their attempts at hiding it were priceless. It was pretty cute too, so they decided to just not mention it, since it didn't affect the work space too much.

Rhys asked who was heading out first, and as expected, Sasha let him go. She'd made the point that if Rhys was there when Vasquez noticed he got there three minutes before the clock, he'd get his ass handed to him on a silver fucking platter. He'd agreed with a quick nod, but he knew she probably wanted an extra minute with her secret boyfriend too. Ugh. Love birds.

So, he said by to everyone, sending them all smiles before he was putting his nametag in the back and heading out the door, back into his best friend's expensive ass vehicle, and back to his apartment. He'd greeted Vaughn before heading into his room, quickly transferring the number from his wall to his phone before putting the taped up sticky note in his stop drawer like he did with everyone else's number that he knew. He didn't know when exactly he'd started doing it, but he knew it was damn useful Rhys was such a damn klutz and broke his phone so much. One time he even dropped it in someone's double chocolate mocha. Don't ask him how.

That's when he stopped to stare at his phone, though. He was at a crossroads again. He didn't know what the hell he was supposed to say. He already had a drafted text set up under Jack's name. After a minute, he typed in his address. Then he tried his way with a few sets of words, deleting each one in a matter of seconds, before groaning to himself and just going with whatever he typed in next.

 _See you then, handsome. ;)_

He felt stupid. But he didn't let himself think about it long, because he had a house to clean. Mainly clothes, because his room was stacked, and he wanted his best outfit for when Jack got there. Sure, he'd be getting stripped out of it in a matter of minutes, but that was beside the point.

It was almost four, so he had four hours. He'd slipped his phone in his pants pocket before heading out to the living room. He'd looked around the check things out first of all – the only thing that needed to be cleaned up were a few candy wrappers around the couch and some thin plastic from new movies or games on the credenza. Right, but he needed to let Vaughn know.

He took a breath, plopping himself on the opposite side of the couch like last time. He glanced over Vaughn's laptop that he was currently tapping at furiously, and laughed a little. "Pinball? Really?"

"What? It's a good game," Vaughn protested, but he seemed to doubt his own words as he groaned and desperately hit the two keys controlling the levers. He sighed when his last ball was deemed to its fate, and glanced over to the anxious Rhys. "What's up?"

"Uh … that uh, that guy is supposed to come over at eight. I hope that's okay. It was sort of an impulse thing," Rhys commented.

"I mean, wasn't most of it impulse?" Vaughn joked, and Rhys playfully swatted him. "But yeah, bro, that's fine. I'll tell Yvette. Is there anything you need help with?"

"Just some quick cleaning. Wrapper duty and any dishes?" Rhys requested with a smile, and Vaughn nodded. "Thanks! Okay, I'll get the laundry going then. I'll do yours too for you," he hummed, probably a bit too giddy as he got up from the couch.

"Aren't you a little too excited for someone that you aren't even dating?" The brunette called, and Rhys shrugged, mainly to himself.

"He's super hot! You'd understand if you saw him," Rhys laughed, and with that, he got to work.

He kept an eye out for certain clothes he might want to wear while he got everything into the washer and then into the dryer. It'd taken a couple loads, and he'd went out to help Vaughn with stuff in between each one, but eventually he got it down to where any dirty clothes could fit into his hamper, and he put away most of the clean stuff, glad the fresh detergent smell would be all around his room. Now he didn't have to seem too desperate by lighting a candle for a few minutes before Jack got there. Pff, he'd probably notice and point it out.

Eventually, Rhys sat at the edge of the bed, staring at his options. For shirts he had a white button up, a baby blue t-shirt that really reminded him of Jack's car, and a thin hoodie, which was a deep blue.

First, he decided against the hoodie. He felt like he'd be hiding away in it, and it wouldn't be as easy to get off and the rest, and he was probably going to be roasting just at the thought of Jack coming over and he didn't want to get all sweaty and gross before anything over happened. Eventually he decided against the button up too – as much as he'd love for Jack to rip his shirt open, it was the only good button up he had and he'd rather not have all the buttons flying off. So the baby blue t-shirt it was.

Then he had to decide what pants to wear. His options here were a lot more vast – a light and dark pair of blue jeans, a pair of ripped black, and then a pair of khaki. He decided to out the pair of the ripped jeans, cause he wasn't in high school anymore and he didn't want Jack thinking he was a kid. Their age difference was probably already large enough, but that wasn't something the auburn haired was really concerned over. Then he thought about what would go best with the baby blue, and he was instantly discarding the blue jeans and setting the khakis on his lap.

But he also had … underwear. Part of him wondered if he should even wear them, but he instantly pushed that aside and went with his favorite pair of red boxer briefs.

He'd hopped in the shower and decided now was definitely not the time to be blowing off any steam, just getting himself washed up before climbing out again. He'd done the most unmanly thing ever and lotioned his skin up while it was still damp because dammit, he wanted to be at least half of the embodiment of sex that Jack was. Hell, Jack didn't even have to try either, he just effortlessly was and it annoyed the shit out of the barista. He got his clothes on and blow dried his hair, combing it back like usual, but decided there wasn't much point in gelling it up if Jack was just going to be pulling at it and shit, which god, he really hoped he was. So maybe Rhys had a thing for it, so what. He was pretty sure Jack was going to have a daddy kinky anyways.

Right. Okay. He grabbed his phone off the sink top and checked the time. It was 7:49. Jack had never texted him back, either, which kind of disappointed him a little, but he tried not to think about it. Shit. Anyways. He didn't doubt that Jack would show up early, so he shoved his phone into his pocket before going out to see Vaughn, who already had a bag for the night strapped around his shoulder.

"Hey," Rhys murmured for starts, stupid little grin on his face. "Thanks, again. I mean, for everything I guess," he shrugged, earning a cock of the brow from his friend.

"You're about to have a guy over and you're going to get all sentimental now?" Vaughn teased, and they both laughed. "Don't mention it. Now, I'm gonna' head out before this guy shows up. I'll see you tomorrow," the brunette smiled, and they collided fists before the shorter man was out the door, leaving Rhys to sort of panic to himself.

Vaughn tugged the strap of his bag over his shoulder a little more, shaking his head as he walked down the hallway. Rhys was unbelievable, and it was pretty amusing. He didn't usually do anything like this though, bringing random guys home – so he wondered just how hot or rich or whatever this guy had to be.

Well, Vaughn got his answer when he got to the elevator. He'd waited patiently for it to get to his level, the door soon opening up with a ding and – holy shit.

This – this had to be the guy. He was Rhys height, and he was a total Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious. Not that Vaughn was gay, no, he liked girls, but this guy was … _attractive._

Good job Rhys.

The shorter man quickly lowered his eyes at the taller stepped by, and after a few seconds he glanced back to see the man was indeed making his way for their apartment door. The elevator doors were slipping shut though, and he quickly stepped inside, whipping his phone to send a quick text to his best friend.

Wed., March 8th, 7:52 PM - BRO

 **HOLY SHIT RHYS HES HOT**

The college grad blinked at his phone. He's hot? What? Oh, shit – He'd probably seen Jack coming up on his way down. Yeah, the brunette wasn't someone anyone could miss. Rhys was quickly running into his bedroom though, putting his phone into the top drawer and honestly, making sure the lube and a condom were super accessible. Would they need a condom? Was Jack a condom guy? Rhys didn't know.

It seemed he'd made his way back into the living room with perfect timing, because there were only two quick knocks on the door, before Jack was strolling in like he owned the place, leaving Rhys frozen just a few feet away.

This man had to be a sex _god._

The outfit was simple, but that didn't stop Rhys from being turned on. He had a yellow t-shirt on and it was hugging Jack's body just the way kid liked it, with a thin black sports jacket overtop that wrapped around the man's biceps perfectly. Lastly he had a pair of dark blue jeans on, and honestly, Rhys was just becoming a sucker for anything that clothed this man's body. He knew he'd like it a lot better if it were all off, though, but he guessed that was why the guy was here.

He heard the older man snort and that's all it took for him to realize he was staring, quickly blinking and clearing his throat with a nervous smile. "Hey," he greeted simply, taking a few steps closer, and he had one of Jack's arms wrapped around his waist in no time.

"Hey princess," Jack purred, and as much as Rhys expected to see that animalistic smirk of his, it never came. "Long time no see, huh kiddo?" The brunette stated sarcastically.

Rhys rolled his eyes with a small laugh, hands going to rest on Jack's chest as he felt a pretty firm squeeze to his ass with Jack's free hand. "Not long enough," he teased. "Oh. My roommate thinks you're hot by the way." He didn't think Vaughn and Jack would ever _officially_ meet, so he figured it would be fine to please the brunette's ego a little.

"Everyone thinks I'm hot," Jack laughed, a smirk finally piercing his lips. "Except you. You think I'm 'handsome'," he man hummed, obviously pleased with that too, and the kid had to say it was almost cute.

"Now c'mon," Rhys ordered then, slipping from the man's grip and grabbing up his wrist instead to tug him towards the bedroom. Jack didn't budge though, and he looked back with a confused expression to see the furrowed dark brows.

"We've got this whole place to ourselves and you're telling me we gotta' do it in a _bed_? Now that's just cruel Rhysie," Jack said, his voice almost a pout. Rhys felt his face color some, but he hitched a breath as he was quickly pulled back against Jack's body. "We've got the walls, the floor, the couch, the counters … _God_ I'd just love to bend you over something cupcake."

Rhys took a deep breath, taking in the maple and cinnamon slowly, telling himself he needed to think straight before he hopped on to agreeing to anything. "Then bend me over the mattress," he murmured, trying not to pout himself. "We have a strict 'keep it in your room' policy," Rhys pointed out, words stuttered near the end as the older man started kissing up the side of his neck.

"Psh. So what," Jack murmured against his skin, leaving a few more bits of affection before pulling his head back again, moving his hands so that they could glide down to Rhys' hips. "It's not like shortie's gonna' know. Unless you guys have cameras around here which would be really weird," he remarked. "And kinky."

So yeah, Jack knew who Vaughn was too then. Rhys was hoping all they did was pass in the hall, not that the kid would mind if they talked or anything just … He was scared about too many people knowing exactly who Jack was, you know? This was a no-attachments ordeal, and if everybody knew and talked about it, knowing his name and what he looked like and how he was, Rhys just felt like it'd get messy. That wasn't exactly something the auburn haired male could handle.

"We don't have cameras," Rhys retorted with an eye roll. "Just morals and respect," he sassed, and the teacher laughed in response.

"So do I. _Especially_ when it comes to sexing up my new favorite student," he commented, pressing the kid's hips closer to his in emphasis. "Which is why I think we should do a little more than just a screw on the bed, huh princess? Waddya' say?" He pushed, kneading at Rhys hips and showing off a pretty predatory smirk. How the fuck was Rhys supposed to say no to that?

He worried his bottom lip, staring at Jack's expectant mismatched eyes. "…Okay. Alright, fine. But no kitchen," Rhys agreed, earning a triumphant little tilt up of the head from the older man. "But—"

"Nope, no more chit-chat," the man promptly interrupted, hand moving up so he could press his index finger up against the shorter's lips, who huffed in response. "I've been waiting since Monday to thoroughly fuck you so I'm not about to wait any longer," he said with a hint of amusement.

Rhys' brow twitched, but Jack had a point, so he didn't say anything. He watched as Jack looked around, probably deciding where they should do it, before giving a small laugh.

"Eeny, meeny, miny … sofa," the man hummed. "Take your pants off and lean your arms on the back of the couch, baby," Jack ordered, turning him by the shoulder's and sending him off with a quick swat to the backside. "Good job at taking my advice this time, by the way," he snorted.

"Still wore what I wanted," Rhys corrected quickly, shooting back a grin despite how embarrassed he was. He looked back to the couch then and hesitated, taking a slow breath. Right. Okay. This was the moment, it was here. Breathe, Rhys, it'd be really humiliating if you passed out now.

First he went for his pants, undoing them with his – dammit, why shaky – fingers before slipping them down. He made sure to do it slow, and bent down just a little as he got past his thighs. He'd heard a hum of approval from behind him, and that's all he needed before he was slipping them off the rest of the way and kicking them to the side some.

Calm down, Rhys. You're only stripping down for your art teacher, for a disgustingly rich guy, for the hottest guy on the planet – nothing to worry about. He could only make your life a living hell if you fucked this up. Psh. Yeah, it's all fi-ine.

Right.

Taking hesitant steps to the couch, he bent forward so that he could rest his forearms over the back of the leathery material, resting his forehead there too with a breath. There was a slightly tense moment of silence, before Jack's hands were kneading all over his backside and thighs and he couldn't hold in his small noise of anticipation.

" _Shit_ , Rhysie. Your body's looking fucking perfect already," he purred. Rhys felt one of Jack's hands trail up, riding the younger's blue shirt up to his shoulder blades before warm fingertips fanned over every part of his pale skin, causing Rhys to give a shiver that he mentally cursed at.

"Less talk more touch," the kid murmured, embarrassed, and he earned a laugh from the older man who was currently thoroughly groping his ass. Jesus Christ.

"You don't even know it either, do you? How fucking hot you are," Jack continued, making sure to punctuate a word here or there. He bent over the kid's body to kiss at one of Rhys' shoulder blades, hands gliding down to take a hold on his hips as he pressed firm against him, and dammit, the kid prayed to whoever was out there that Jack couldn't tell just how hard his heart was pounding right now.

But, the fuck? He totally _hadn't_ jumped when one of their phones started going off, and he heard a growl behind him before glancing back. Jack pulled out his phone from his back pocket, looking like he was about ready to shut the thing off before realizing something and glancing to Rhys.

"Gimme' like … a couple minutes, kitten. 'Kay? Then I promise I'll take good care of you," Jack offered with a small smirk, and the kid was only giving a little nod and hesitating before standing straight, watching the brunette make his way around to the front of the couch and plop down.

"Hey, Angel, princess! What's u—"

Rhys couldn't hear exactly what was being said, but he got the point at the volume of the teenage girl's words. He could only see half of Jack's face and he didn't look very impressed, mouth opening a few times to try to get a word in but his daughter wouldn't give him a chance. Shit. This wasn't good. One, the barista had a feeling his hot night was about to be canceled. Two, he was starting to feel bad for Jack again.

So, he did the only thing he knew he could at the moment, hands gently meeting with the man's shoulders and rubbing hopefully soothing little circles into the clothed skin. He'd bent right over again, leaning his head against Jack's on the opposite side of the phone, and he was glad to feel muscles relax underneath him as he soothed his hands over the front of his teacher's t-shirt.

This was definitely sappier than Rhys thought the pair would ever get, especially when Jack even reached a hand up to gently grasp at one of the kid's arms so that it stayed rested there over the man's torso. They were like that for a good few minutes, before Angel's stream of words was abruptly cut off as she hung up the phone. Jack hadn't even gotten one word in. Rhys felt like shit.

After a bit of silence, Rhys tilted his head to place a kiss to the man's jaw, peeking at his face. He didn't looked pissed or anything, just a little trouble, and Rhys worried his bottom lip before speaking up.

"Is ... everything okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, course it is kiddo," the man nodded, and it wasn't the least bit convincing. "Just the teen being a teen."

"Jack," Rhys pushed. "I'm still a person, you know, if you want to talk about it we can."

Said man looked over, shooting the auburn haired a hesitant look. After a second he was glancing away again, giving a defeated sigh. "I dunno' if I can do this tonight, Rhysie," he commented, before adding, "Talking or fucking. I want to. Just don't think now's the time."

Rhys nodded. Okay. He could deal with that. Sure he was a little more riled up than he would have liked but at least everything was … calm enough down south. He could deal with the not talking too, because with the way it had been worded, it kept Rhys a little hopeful that Jack would at least talk to him about it at some point. "So … Are you heading home?" He asked, almost quietly, holding back his pout best he could.

There was some silence, making it obvious Jack was thinking about it, and it didn't know why it made Rhys chest bubble in excitement so much. Psh, cause he'd have _Jack_ sleeping in his bed if he decided to stay, that's why.

"Your buddy's out for the night?"

"Yeah. I work at eight though."

"… Mm. Okay. Yeah, ya' know what kiddo. I might stay. Staying in my lonely ass house just doesn't sound fun," he chuckled a little, and it made Rhys ache.

"'Kay," the kid murmured, taking a breath before unwrapping his arms from the man and standing again. "I don't know about you but I could probably sleep already," Rhys said with a smile, nodding in the direction of his bedroom after scooping up his pants, and the older man was quick to smirk in response.

"Lead the way sweetcheeks."

And so, Rhys did. He led Jack into his bedroom, where he tossed his pants into the hamper and didn't bother doing much else before crawling into the bed. He watched as Jack stripped into his t-shirt and boxers too, though flushed as he earned a laugh before they were both under the covers.

"Don't think I'm soft," Jack swiftly commented after a few minutes of silence, though by then Rhys had already been cuddled up to his side, head resting on a broader chest. "Cause I'm not."

"I would never," Rhys hummed sarcastically, earning a small, playful growl from the older man. "You just skipped out on sex with your student because you're being all sentimental. Not soft at all," Rhys snickered.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, baby. We've still got a whole three months ahead of us," Jack smirked. "If you can even handle me that long."

"Try me handsome," Rhys teased, before swatting the man on the chest. "Now go to sleep, hotshot. We both have to get up early."

"Both? Psh, maybe I'll just crash here until your roomie finally comes home," he joked, and Rhys hit him again. "Yeah yeah, got it. Sleep tight kiddo, I won't bite too hard," Jack sasses, and Rhys laughed as he rolled his eyes.

"'Night, Jack."


	3. Chapter 3

Thursday morning was pretty easy to wake up to. Rhys had stirred some at the sound of his alarm, but brown and blue eyes flickered open when he felt a kiss peppered to his forehead. He registered the steady heartbeat underneath him before his eyes focused, moving an arm to rub at his face a little before blinking towards Jack. Oh. Oh yeah. The man grinned before giving a small laugh at Rhys' confused morning face, before shifting a little so that he could turn the alarm off and settle back in again.

"Looks like it's time for you to get up princess," Jack commented, voice only the slightest bits groggy which made Rhys think he was totally a morning person. Irritating. He didn't get how morning people even existed. "Can't have you missing work, you've gotta' be there to help train my Angel right?"

"Mmm. Sasha's doing most of the helping but … Yeah," Rhys murmured, leaning his head back against the older man's chest. He was about ready to close his eyes again too, but Jack had a hand on his shoulder in no time and was pushing the kid so that he laid flat on his back, leaving the barista to blink in confusion.

"If you get up now we might be able to hop in the shower together … I doubt we have time for anything full, unless it's a quickie, but I'm not about to rush our first fuck," he purred, and Rhys flushed due to his lack of self-control in the morning. Christ, this guy was so obscene. It was so hot though he couldn't really find it in himself to complain.

Rhys didn't respond verbally, only hopped out of bed and earned a laugh from the older man, who followed behind. They didn't bother closing the bathroom door, Vaughn knew better than to show up at the apartment without knowing for sure if Rhys' partner was gone, and no one else owned a key. Jack figured out the shower while the younger male worked on stripping, first slipping off the baby blue t-shirt, and he was about to slip off the red fabric covering his groin and upper thighs before growing a little self-conscious. God, grow up – you'd bent over for this guy last night and were damn ready to get ravaged by him then so this was nothing.

Taking a breath, he fully stripped, and by then Jack was already working on his clothes too. The man had been sure to compliment the kid's tattoos, and in a matter of seconds they were both under the hot spray of the shower, the older man already performing a ruthless assault on the younger's neck that left him gasping and arching against the broader figure. It kind of intimidated him a little that Jack's mouth was already working wonders and he hadn't even gotten to any of the really good parts yet, but that thought got him a little more excited than it should have, and his art teacher seemed to notice.

"So my kitten's the sensitive morning type hmm?" Jack said, voice reading just how pleased he was as he reached a hand down to grab a hold of Rhys' swell.

The kid huffed, turning his face away a little more as it to hide himself which earned a hum of amusement from the older man. "Shut up," he shot back, trying to ignore the way Jack had said Rhys was _his_ kitten, instead letting out a low moan when the older gave his cock a good squeeze.

"What'd I tell you about being mean?" Jack scolded, earning a small whine as he nipped probably a bit too harshly at paler skin. Rhys didn't really mind though, especially when the spot was soothed over with warm kisses and he felt the brunette's hand run over his length with just the right amount of pressure.

Jack's kisses and suckles trailed a bit down his right shoulder, before he was pulling back a little and Rhys peeked his eyes open to see what the holdup was. Jack was eyeing a scar that went all the way around Rhys' right arm, right below the juncture of his socket, free hand moving so he could thumb over the harsh ring before glancing to the student expectantly. The younger male cleared his throat, looking to the side a bit as his cheeks flushed out of shame. "Story for another time," he murmured.

Jack nodded in understanding, though he did bend his head down a little and bring the kid's arm up so he could place a few kisses over the old wound. Rhys felt his face heat again but over a different feeling this time, and slowly closed brown and blue orbs again as the tanned male got back to his neck.

But wait, shit – he gave a quick gasp, eyes flying open again as his hands moved over the other's chest, pushing Jack back just a bit and receiving a pouty expression. "You, you can't leave marks, if Vasquez sees he'll kill me."

"The hell is – oh right, you and Angel's boss? Well, it's a little late for that Rhysie," the teacher commented, and Rhys gave a groan. Shit. This was going to be bad. "But c'mon, they might even be low enough depending on what you wear. I think we've got more important things to focus on though," Jack snorted, and Rhys wanted to remark that his job was pretty damn important, but decided not really as Jack pressed him up against the wall carefully and picked up the pace of his hand. The student melted a little, leaning his head back against the white tiles and slipped his eyes shut as Jack's mouth moved to suckle over his throat. He was a little more paranoid about any marks than he would have liked to be, but eventually Jack let up and seemed to be satisfied enough with watching Rhys fall apart in his grasp.

And falling apart he was. His knees were shaking, fingernails digging lightly into well-toned biceps, moans and gasps slipping past his lips as his hips bucked every so often. Jack knew just where to tease, and Rhys didn't think he'd ever get so riled up over a fucking handjob. He'd tried to help Jack out, too – but the man had swatted his hand away and smirked in a way that confused him and turned him on even more.

"This morning's all about you, baby," Jack purred, and Rhys cursed because that voice in his ear was going to be the damn thing that sent him over the edge. "You let me skip out last night so this is your payment."

The barista couldn't believe the way the man kept talking, acting like they'd be banging the whole three months Rhys would be going to that dammed art class. Which, let's be honest … That was more than just a little likely. He didn't know why, but he and Jack had clicked upon first meet, so he didn't see any reason why they couldn't screw around for a little while. Maybe if Jack was actually seeing someone, but Rhys was pretty sure that wasn't the case just because Angel had never mentioned a thing about it.

The kid's end hit him like a truck, though. Jack had squeezed the head of his cock and thumbed over the slit on the tip, and that's all it took for Rhys' hands to be grasping at the older's biceps firmly, body tensing and numbing all at once as the warm liquid spilled over the older man's hand. Jack gave a small laugh, and it took a good few seconds for the college grad to compose himself before he could finally take a glance to the other male.

"Someone was all pent up after last night," Jack smirked, hand already washed off by now thanks to the stream of water. "Now shape up, kiddo. You've got work in like twenty minutes."

"Twenty—" Jesus Christ. Rhys climbed out of the shower quick as he could, almost falling on his ass which left Jack behind, laughing his ass off. Rhys had already been out in the bedroom slipping clothes on when Jack walked out, back in his t-shirt and boxers and putting everything else from the night before back on. His hair honestly didn't look much different from when it was styled, still flowing perfectly in one direction, yet somehow even every direction all at once, and Rhys only had time to admire for a second before reminding himself of the time and rushing into the bathroom to find his headband.

"Uh, cupcake. Don't think just a t-shirt's the best idea," Jack shot over, simply watching the younger male scurry around amusedly. Rhys had shot him a confused look, before gasping and making his way to the closet again to find his white button up from last night. He slipped his tee off and got the white material over his arms instead, telling Jack to grab his phone from the top drawer of his nightstand. The brunette obliged, snorting and commenting on the lube and condom stashed there, and Rhys pouted as the older made his way over to slip the phone into Rhys' back pocket.

"Sorry, sorry pumpkin. It's cute. Let's just hope we get to use that stuff next time huh?" Jack inquired, and Rhys gave a little nod before tugging at his collar.

"Does this cover it all?" The kid asked worriedly, though relief washed over him as the older nodded. "Okay. I think I'm ready," Rhys murmured, waiting a few more seconds before nodding. Yeah, he was –

No he wasn't. Oh. Fuck. Vaughn had the car. Which normally wouldn't be so bad, he could just walk to the café, but he'd be so late at this point that his ass would be fired in no time. Okay, he wouldn't be that late, but to Vasquez? Three minutes late was three hours late as far as Rhys was concerned. Asshole.

"Somebody doesn't look so peachy all of a sudden," Jack stated, and Rhys took his bottom lip between his teeth. Should his risk looking like a total loser revealing that he didn't actually own such a beautiful car? Or lose his job because he didn't want to look like an idiot?

The bright side was he might get to ride in Jack's sweet car.

"I uh … sort of … don't have a way to get to work on time," Rhys commented. "I mean, unless I want to get murdered by an uber driver."

"So that car wasn't yours eh?" Jack inquired, and laughed as the younger man's cheeks flushed bright. "Its fine, you're young, I couldn't expect you to have something like that. Let's get going," Jack assured, and Rhys wanted to point out that Vaughn was almost the same age as the younger male but decided not to humiliate himself any further.

After making sure they both had everything they were slipping out the door, down the building and eventually into the parking lot. As they approached Jack's car the kid found himself growing nervous, pulling at his collar a few times until Jack was swatting his hand and telling him if he kept doing that at work too then someone was going to notice his 'pretty little bruised up' neck.

"The hell are you nervous about anyways?"

"I've … I've never been in a sports car besides Vaughn's, and it took me like, weeks to get over that," Rhys answered, taking a breath.

"Yeah, well, you _were_ kid of eye fucking my ride the first time we met," Jack laughed. "I'm sure you'll be in it more than once so you better got over it fast."

Sure that he – oh god. Rhys thought he might faint.

The younger male found it best of he just didn't respond to that, so after some hesitation he was climbing into the car after it'd been unlocked, and slowly easing himself in. Holy fuck. This car. This car was so gorgeous. Rhys froze up, but let his head move around to glance things over.

"You look like you're gonna' spring a hard one just from sitting in it," Jack busted out, hitting the steering wheel a few times as Rhys carefully shut the door and worked on buckling up. "Jesus, kiddo! Can't wait until you finally get yourself one of these babies, you'll probably find a way to fuck the damn thing."

"Will not," Rhys pouted, hitting the man's arm lightly as he peeled out of the parking lot. "I'll never afford one of these things anyways. As a barista? Please."

"Kiddo, I used to be a librarian. Try me," Jack stated, earning a stare from the younger male. In all honesty, he could see it. Imagining Jack back in his black rimmed glasses and cream colored sweater, yeah, definitely. Pfft – Jack as a librarian.

"Wait. Hey. Yeah. How the hell do you make so much money now? There's no way the art classes get you by like that," Rhys commented, cocking a brow at the tanned male. Jack blinked, eyes wide, and luckily they were at a stop light when he whipped his head over to give the barista an unbelieving look.

"Are you kidding me?"

Are you … what is that supposed to mean? Rhys furrowed his brows, staring the man down for a good few seconds until Jack was forced to look away when the light turned green.

"Oh my god, you aren't kidding. Rhysie, baby, really. You're slow as shit. I'm the dean of student discipline at Hyperion."

No shit.

"You – You're – no you aren't," Rhys sputtered out, brown and blue eyes wide, and Jack laughed. "Holy sh— _You_ , the perverted, fowl mouthed, smartass – _You're the dean?"_ Rhys questioned, exasperated, and they'd be lucky if Jack didn't crash them while trying to calm down his laughing. "How the hell do you have so much _time?"_

"I said, I'm the dean of student discipline, not _the_ dean. I was offered that for when Henderson or whatever his face is steps down, but I declined. I don't feel like dealing with _that much_ bullshit," Jack shrugged. "Hyperion is full of some pretty well behaved kids, believe it or not, so I only have to actually go in about once or twice a week. Other than that it's just shit I can do wherever."

Holy fuck. This was weird. Rhys knew the school had switched out some of the deans when he left, but Christ, he thought he'd at least hear about it from the college buzz at the café.

Wait.

"Fucking _John!_ Why do you have two different names?!"

"I don't have two different names," Jack snorted. "Jack is another name for John. It just grew on me."

"Oh my god."

It was silent after that, Rhys just sort of begrudgingly processing everything and Jack snickering every now and again over the kid's reaction. He didn't think Jack would get in trouble for this. The younger male hadn't been a student at Hyperion University for about three years now. Damn, though … he couldn't help think about if Jack had done anything like this with any of his _real_ students though. He didn't know why it made his chest tighten uncomfortably, but he didn't really want to think about it right now either.

Soon enough they made it to the café, and Rhys was pouting that he had to part with this beautiful car. Maybe cause he had to part with Jack too, but that's not something he was about to admit.

He'd had Jack park at the side of the building so that they weren't running any chance of Angel spotting them, and Rhys waved a quick goodbye and gave a quick thanks to his temporary chauffer before heading inside, the older man understanding his rush of not wanting to be late.

And would you look at that, as soon as he walked into the building and the little bell chimed on the top of the door, Vasquez was standing there waiting with hands on his hips, giving Rhys a shit eating grin like he'd won something between them.

"Ah, nice of you to show up today Rhys!" The man commented, and as the kid walked by the ravenette was giving him a clap on the shoulder. Rhys flinched, sending his boss only a quick glare before heading into the back, in which he was followed. "You know, I just hate to be the one to point it out," like hell, "but this is the second day you've almost been late for work. If this continues, I'm afraid there will have to be some consequences," Vasquez states, watching intently for a reaction as Rhys hook his nametag onto the break pocket of his button up.

"Well, I wasn't late either time, so don't worry about it," Rhys shot back, combing a hand through the hair not smoothed down by his headband before heading behind the bar, where the man continued to follow. Rhys really just wanted to punch him in the face, and sent a pleading expression Sasha' way who only gave a sympathetic grin in response.

"You're telling me not to worry about my workers? Now Rhys, I don't want to have to put you in your place but—"

"Wha—put me in my place for stating the facts? You know, I'm having a really good day today. I'm not going to let you ruin it," he huffed, arms thrown up in the air as he turned his attention elsewhere. The barista heard his boss start to make some snide comment, but Sasha quickly butted in about something or another that had to be fixed, which would in turn need Hugo's attention, and thankfully stopped the man's unreasonable comments.

Taking a breath, Rhys soothed a hand through the back of his hair again. Today was going to be a good day. It'd started out in heaven and damn him if the rest went any differently. His attention shifted when a sudden figure was at his wide though, and glanced over to see Angel staring up at him quizzically.

"You allowed to talk to the boss like that?" She questioned, though her voice was a little amused as she worked on refilling a sugar shaker.

Rhys had to give a small laugh, glancing around the shop to make sure he'd be safe from Vasquez's ears before shrugging. "No. I'm surprised he hasn't fired me yet to be honest. I think the only reason he keeps me around is so that he can see me suffer," the college grad commented sarcastically, and he heard Angel give a huff of amusement.

"Sounds like my dad," she commented, which reminded Rhys. Maybe he should … maybe he should have a talk with her? Best thing would probably be if he asked Jack first, but if Hugo saw Rhys with his phone out he'd get fucking slaughtered and he didn't feel like waiting until tomorrow. He'd have to be careful about it too – he wasn't ready to reveal that he went to the older man's class so early and he definitely wasn't about to say they were getting ready to fuck when Angel called last night. So … he'd just have to take it slowly.

"How's uh, how _is_ it going with Jack?" Rhys questioned, hopefully casually as he got some fresh grounds into the grinder. There had been a few good seconds of silence, before the male looked over to see Angel staring him down curiously.

"Why do you know my dad's name?"

Oh. Oh shit. Rhys blinked, face probably flushing a little but hopefully not too much, as he turned his head away again to try to hide himself. "He's the dean," Rhys shrugged, thinking it might be a good enough excuse. "You hear a lot about the university in this place."

"Oh, right," Angel nodded. "Makes sense. But yeah, we didn't talk at all … I mean, I texted him about a thanks for the ride but that was it," the girl shrugged, and Rhys hesitated before looking over.

She was going to lie about it? Why? God, this didn't make since. He got stubborn teenagers not wanting to let the other have a word in, but this?

"That was it?" Rhys pushed, eyeing the ebony haired girl, almost spilling some coffee grinds so he paid attention to the work his hands were doing again. "You never argued anymore or anything?" And obviously, it was a set up.

Angel paused again, which he expected, so he just closed the coffee machine back up after getting the grinded bits in. "Okay. Okay fine. I may have called him and yelled at him a little bit. But he called the shop my car was in and told them to scrap it, so what was I supposed to do?"

"Wh— He what?" Rhys sputtered, wide mismatched eyes looking towards the younger female. She nodded at the more experienced barista' disbelief, arms crossing over her chest.

"I know, right! So I called him and ripped him a new one. Now I've got to walk into work every day and back," she huffed.

Why the hell would Jack have her car trashed? Spite? No, Jack didn't seem like that kind of guy. He'd been pretty damn bummed when Angel had called to yell at him last night so he couldn't see any reason why the man would possibly do that. Holy hell though, he couldn't help but think he didn't want to get on the older man's bad side just in case. Not that the kid had a car that he could trash … He was sure Jack would find something.

"Sorry," Rhys muttered, knowing the pain of having to walk to and from work most of the time. "I don't have a car everyday myself but … Maybe I could drive you home sometimes? I mean, I'd say mornings too but, I'm sure you saw …" Rhys trailed off, hand going to rub the back of his neck, and Angel snickered.

"Yeah. It's okay. I like the mornings better anyways, less traffic and a lot prettier. Thanks Rhys," she hummed, and the auburn haired grinned in return.

"Anyways. I still think you should let Ja – your dad explain himself. If there's a way I could help, let me know. I hate thinking about a relationship left untold like that," Rhys murmured. Mainly the hated thinking about Jack sitting in his 'lonely ass' house, wondering where the hell he'd gone wrong with his daughter. It left an ache in the young man's chest, and he looked to Angel who only hesitated before giving a nod.

"Yeah, I'll try. No promises though," she shot over, and Rhys nodded, because he could live with that. For now.

000

Thurs., March 9th, 7:23 PM

 _Why the hell did you trash Angels car?_

 **What? I didnt trash it the shop guys did**

7:24 PM

 _You know what I mean smartass_

 **Well its a secret anyway dickface**

 _Even from me?_

7:25 PM

 **Especially from you baby boy**

The fuck was that supposed to mean? Especially from Rhys? Why couldn't he know? He was trying to help here. The kid huffed to himself, arm flopping next to him on the mattress with his phone still in hand. Maybe Jack just thought it was that unimportant concerning the kid. Maybe he thought it was none of his business. Which it wasn't, so after a minute, Rhys was giving a dramatic sigh and muttering to himself to get over it.

They were fuck buddies. Nothing else. Not friends, not boyfriends. There was a big age gap, and Jack was Rhys' teacher. Not his real teacher, but that was beside the point.

So why the fuck did it keep him from sleeping well that night?


	4. Chapter 4

Friday morning rolled around and Rhys had to admit that he didn't quite know what he did with himself all day. He got every other Friday off and this happened to be one of those, so he just sort of waited around until he had to go into the art studio at four.

As he climbed into the driver's seat of Vaughn's car, he tried to remember what he'd done all day. Woke up, scrolled through his Facebook and Instagram for about an hour, showered, and styled his hair just the way he liked it. After that he'd grabbed up whatever cereal box his hand touched first and plopped onto the couch next to Vaughn, watching him play Battlefield for the next, what … four … four hours. Wow. Real productive, Rhys. Jack was banging a total loser. Not that they'd actually gotten around to banging yet.

… What did Jack have to do with any of this, dammit?

Rhys huffed to himself as he turned out of the parking lot. Right. That damned dean was the only thing or person he could think about anymore. And yeah, when he said thing he meant … _thing._ You know. Maybe the younger male hadn't gotten to touch him but he'd at least seen it and heh, he had to say –

Shut up Rhys.

He tapped on the steering wheel anxiously as he waited for a red light to turn green again. It would only be his second time at the art studio, yet it felt like the hundredth time he'd be there and the thousandth time he'd be seeing Jack. It was ridiculous. His body didn't get the point that this wasn't one of _those_ meetings either, all shaky and fumbly and clammy. Dammit.

In no time at all but too much time all at the same time, he reached 'Heroes of the Arts'. He didn't park next to the shiny blue sports car this time though, only because the spots were taken since he wasn't here early today. Assholes. No doubt he stared at the vehicle anyways on his way towards the building, giving it some wanting look that Jack would have laughed at and made a joke about Rhys wanting to stick his dick in the exhaust pipe.

There was only one dick he wanted in one place, but he wasn't about to start thinking about that now.

The auburn haired male pushed open the door to the studio, and could smell the faintest hints of cinnamon and maple already. He really was starting to wonder if it was the guy's cologne or if he really just liked pancakes for breakfast. Either way, he stood by his thought about it being better than the overbearing husk scent most guys had to offer. He made his way down the short hall, eyes scanning over the 'enter if you dare' sign before he was stepping past the doorway and –

Oh. Right. He was still kind of a little pissy at Jack, he forgot. He still didn't know what that text from last night was about but he was determined that it hadn't meant anything good. So when the brunette looked up at him and gave a smirk realizing it was his favorite little chew toy, Rhys just moved his gaze away and made his way for the seat in the back corner.

He'd brought a black messenger bag today, holding his tablet and a sketchbook, along with pencils, pens, colored pencils, yada yada, and he set that down on the floor next to him – he figured they'd be going over the works they did last time today, and he guessed he was right when he looked up, glancing around for only a second before he spotted the projector hanging up on the ceiling. One of those stupid fancy ones that can hide up in the ceiling whenever you wanted it to. Ugh. Great. Even though he drew all the time and thousands of people followed his web comic, he couldn't help but feel the nervousness creep up his spine. None of those people knew what he looked like. None of them knew anything personal about him. This was … ugh. Tense. He didn't feel like being judged in person.

His eyes flickered to Jack then, who was already invested in what he was doing and apparently not bothered by Rhys' blow off at all. Tch, of course. The kid wasn't even surprised. He just rolled mismatched eyes, reaching down and pulling his tablet out and checking up on his stats while he waited for the next three minutes for class to start. He totally didn't glance at Jack at all though, nope. Not at all … dammit, Jack wasn't even looking to Rhys like on Monday.

He hadn't … done something wrong, had he? Jack was the one who had decided to break off their sex, and who had decided to stay the night, and who didn't let Rhys touch him yesterday morning. He didn't get it. Maybe Jack was pissed that Rhys lied to him about the car. Maybe he didn't want to bang somebody who basically lived off somebody else's income. He didn't know! This was killing him.

Rhys slapped a hand to his face and sighed. Stop thinking about it. It really didn't matter. He rubbed at his temples with one hand, staying like that until Jack's phone alarm went off at the front of the room, and there was silence as everyone put away whatever they had been doing, that obnoxiously smooth voice following soon after.

"Okay, pipsqueaks. It's judgement day. I'm gonna' go through the best and the worst of what everybody did on Monday. Anybody whines about it, you're outta' here," for emphasis, Jack pointed towards the doorway. "Seeing your mistakes is key to fixing them. If you can't take a criticism then you better stop your little dreams about being artists while you're ahead."

Way to pep talk a group of mostly insecure teenagers, Jack.

With that Jack made his way to a laptop on his desk, bending down just a bit and flipping the thing open. Rhys tried his hardest not to stare at the guy's butt, really, but well he was standing at the right angle for Rhys to see and those brown pants looked really good on his legs and – stop it. He watched the man stand again and walk to the middle of the room, stretching an arm up to press the power button on the projector, and the younger male pursed his lips seeing the white hoodie ride up for just a second. God that skin – Rhys needed to just not.

He tried not to make the clearing of his throat too obvious, head lowering once the lights flickered off and the projector illuminated against the white washed wall. He didn't pay much attention, to be honest – only sat and listened to the dean's voice while waiting for something to come up that could be about his own work. That's all he cared about, not anybody else's – but his time never came. No harsh criticism, no sort of praise. What the hell? Rhys tried to think how many works had flickered across the screen; maybe nine? And there were fourteen students. So what. Was Rhys just … was Rhys just average? He didn't know how he felt about that. At least he didn't have insults spewed at his work but it would have been nice to be recognized. Maybe this was payback for whatever Rhys had done. But wait, what about the other four people who hadn't gotten any comments on their works? That made the barista feel a little better. Only a little.

He glanced around at the other students, some with triumphant smiles Rhys could see from the side and others who just looked a little disappointed. No one seemed to be too bummed out overall though, except Rhys, who was sitting in the back and pouting like a five year old whose drawing didn't get put up on the fridge.

Brown and blue eyes watched as Jack flipped the lights back on, shut the projector down, and closed his laptop again. With that he was letting anyone who had made anything non digital grab their sketches or whatnot from the walls or the racks, and everyone was packing up to head home for that day. How the hell class had gone by so fast, he didn't know, and he frowned to himself as he slung his bag back over his shoulder, hands shoving into the pockets of his blue jeans. Like the first day, he was sure he'd make it out without any form of acknowledgement – and even without his endearment email from last time he was still being called to a quick halt. Of course.

"Rhysie! C'mere for a minute, I need to ask you something."

The kid hesitated, fingers playing with the strap of his bag for a few seconds before he turned, meeting Jack's expectant gaze. Rhys moved out the doorway so that everyone else could slip out, and the younger male wandered a few steps over towards the teacher before they were left alone in the room, Jack leaning back in his chair with his arms behind his head.

"So. You talked to Angel?"

"Of course I talked to Angel. She's my coworker and you're my … sex friend," Rhys started, fumbling over his words a little before continuing. "And you guys are both being affected by whatever's going on so it's affecting me too. And I want to help."

"You wanna' help out your 'sex friend'?" Jack snorted, cocking a brow and earning a huff from the college grad.

"Maybe I just want to help out Angel."

"Right, right. Whatever. You can help me out in other ways anyways," Jack purred, and the younger male rolled his eyes.

"Is that all you wanted to ask?" The kid pushed, arms going to cross over his chest. He really didn't feel like playing the older man's games right now, not being able to push his thoughts away form that text from last night and how he really wanted to ask about it again. He was sure he'd get a reply that would be similar though, and took a breath as Jack shrugged.

"No. What else did she say?" Of course the older man wouldn't call Rhys over to actually talk about Rhys.

"That she thinks that you're using her somehow. She says it's the only reasonable explanation for why you came back into her life out of nowhere. She said she hadn't let you explain at all either though so I got on her a little for that."

"Uh – how could I even use her? If she didn't tell you already, her mom went six feet under a long time ago. It's not like I have anything to use her for in court anymore. Plus she's legally an adult now anyways," Jack sighed, moving so he could rest his elbows on the desk.

"That's kind of what I said. I guess she's just being a teenager," Rhys shrugged. "You need to find a way to talk to her about it, though. Have you ever sent her a text about it?"

"Little ones. Nothing about her mom."

"Try that. And maybe don't, you know, destroy her car next time."

"I told you cupcake, _I_ didn't destroy shit. Anyways, it's nothing to worry about," Jack commented, seeming to wave the younger male off a bit.

What the hell was up with this guy and talking about the scrapped car? Rhys frowned, staring the other down for a god few seconds before nodding. "Okay. Well, I'm going to just go. I'll see you Mon—"

"Hold on there sweetcheeks. What are you up to tomorrow?"

Rhys wanted to make up some sort of lie, say he'd definitely be all sorts of busy doing whatever it is to totally avoid Jack, but before he could think of anything reasonable his shoulders were giving a quick shrug. "Nothing."

"Good, good. Okay. After my next class I'm gonna' text you my address and when to be there tomorrow. And we are _not_ accepting any interruptions this time," Jack smirked, and suddenly any pissiness that had been coming from the younger male blew away in the wind. Tomorrow … Sex with Jack tomorrow. Jesus Christ. Jack's house tomorrow. _Jack's house._

"I … Yeah, okay," the student nodded, picking at a loose string on his strap for a second before taking a breath. "I'll see you tomorrow," Rhys confirmed, and the older man was sending him a wink before the barista was making his way out the door.

He needed better self-control.

000

Rhys gulped as he parked Vaughn's car, staring at the large apartment building in front of him. This place was A-class, best of the best, and this is where Jack lived. Of course. Of course it was, because Jack was hot and loaded, so why wouldn't he live here. Take a breath, Rhys. He and Vaughn's place probably looked like the slums compared to whatever was awaiting him in here.

Sat., March 11th, 8:25 PM

 _I'm here handsome_

He still felt weird saying 'handsome', not that Jack wasn't – he definitely was. It was just embarrassing, dammit, but with all the pet names the older guy used on him he figured he probably didn't mind all that much.

Rhys didn't budge from the car until he was receiving his next text, – **Be down asap, princess** – taking a breath before pocketing the device and slipping out the door. He'd scanned the parking lot out of curiosity, before spotting the blue sports car stopped snug right near one of the spaces directly in front of the building. Of course, that was no surprise there either. By the time Rhys wandered to the front doors of the apartment building he was greeted by a familiar and smug face, usual smirk adorning his damned breathtaking features.

"Long time no see Rhysie," the man greeted sarcastically, arm winding around the kid's waist to press a quick kiss to his jaw before pulling back again. "Now let's go have some fun," Jack purred, and Rhys could only flush and nod in return. Fun. It didn't seem like the right word. Not that he wouldn't have fun, oh, he really, _really_ would, but he was just also mildly terrified. But sure. Yeah. They could just put it at fun.

The younger male followed Jack in to the nearest elevator, where he watched the man pull out a small key looking thing, pushing it into the keyhole – "That's not the only thing I'm sticking in a hole tonight, amiright?" – before pressing a now illuminated green button with the number fifteen on it. The hell?

"What's that look for?" Jack inquired, giving a quick snort. "Never been up to a penthouse before?"

Wh- P-Penthouse – Jesus Christ. Rhys gaped, trying to come up with some sort of response but his lips only parted a few times before Jack was interrupting anything he might finally have to say with a loud laugh. "You're gonna' love it, kitten. If you almost ruined your pants sitting in my car I can't _wait_ to see your face once we get up there," Jack said amusedly, toothy smirk crinkling at the corners of his eyes.

The barista didn't say anything, just gave the smallest of pouts though he couldn't deny his excitement, one foot tapping impatiently at the floor of the elevator. It was only a couple more seconds before the metal doors were sliding open, and Rhys was eighty percent sure he'd faint before Jack had to place an arm on the small of the kid's back and actually push him out of the elevator before the doors closed.

His nose registered things before his eyes, welcomed with that all too familiar scent of maple and cinnamon that drove him up the wall, along with something else he couldn't quite place that was probably just _Jack._ But his eyes soon focused the place was ... Huge. It was all open glass windows and plush leather furniture and open wooden floors. Everything mainly consisted of Hyperion yellows and dark blues, along with some blacks and greys to compliment here or there. It was fucking gorgeous, but the main thing that caught his eye was the view right across the large room. Rhys didn't waste time in making his way to the wall of a window to get a better look, hearing Jack laugh behind him, but he couldn't care less about that right now.

It was sometime past 8:30 by now so the sun had just set and the city was lit up like a Christmas tree. Pressing his hands up against the glass, he basically stared through it like a kid outside a candy shop in awe. He could see the university from here, and he was sure he could figure out where his own apartment building was too but it was too dark to try to figure that out right now. He was uh .. He was sure he'd have other opportunities. So it was okay.

He'd examined the view quietly for a couple minutes to be honest, surprised Jack didn't have anything to say. Actually, yeah, Rhys had come here to get screwed, and the older man wasn't going to rush him? Tearing mismatched eyes from the thriving city below, he glanced over at the brunette who was staring right back, straightening up a little at the sudden attention. His arms were crossed over his chest, though at the moment it seemed more like a waiting pose than an irritated one. Which was good, obviously.

"Told you you'd like it," he hummed, taking a few steps over and lowering his hands to the younger man's hips. Rhys took a breath, gaze turning back to the window and he tried to ignore the fact that he could see the faintest reflection of Jack peering over at the auburn haired's face. "Maybe I should just let you enjoy the view for a while longer and fuck you right here," he purred.

Oh.

That ... Actually, uh ... Didn't sound half bad. Sure, Rhys' face probably looked like a tomato right now, and he'd bit down on his lip harder than he meant to, but when Jack's lips meant with his neck he pretty much gave a noise that said he was more than just willing to put that plan into action.

There was one problem, though. Just one. "The, the windows ... They're tinted, right?" Rhys questioned, fingers curling against the glass as the man wasted no time in making a grab for the front of his pants. He gasped a totally manly gasp, head tilting to the side so that his teacher could work better at his neck while thumbs hooked into his waistband and tugged down without even bothering to undo them first. He was glad he hadn't worn pants that were _too_ tight today. Not that they still weren't. Ohh and they were just getting tighter.

"Yeah. They're tinted. Kinda' wish they weren't right about now though," Jack commented, resting his chin on the barista's shoulder as he palmed at Rhys through his special red boxer briefs. The kid tipped his head down and against the glass, trying to hold his excited shiver in as best as he could when Jack spoke up again. "I'd just love for this news to get around. Hyperion's dean of discipline fucking some pretty little twink up against his window? _Oh_ the cover photo for that one," the older man chuckled, and Rhys whined, glad the guy had already confirmed nobody was going to actually be able to get a sight of this. Because that would be ... Devastating. Well. Not too devastating, everybody would know how high he was on the hottest man in Hyperion's - and probably just the whole world's - list. But, uh, but still.

"I'm too old to be a twink," Rhys commented in protest, cheeks hot for multiple reasons that he probably didn't have to point out. Though the main one was definitely because the last piece of clothing covering his bottom half was just pushed down his thighs, and he bit back a moan as Jack used his free hand to knead at the newly exposed flesh of his ass.

The brunette didn't bother responding to the kid's retort, instead kisses at a spot right below Rhys' earlobe that has goosebumps erupting over his skin. Jack notices, chuckles, strokes at the younger's already more than just a little hard cock while his other hand went to work at the buttons of Rhys' blue shirt. Yeah, he was still wearing button ups as much as possible, Jack's marks were showing no sign of fading yet and they probably wouldn't be gone for another week or two. He didn't mind as much as he let on, though.

"You are something else kitten," Jack hummed appreciatively, hand soon roaming over pale, hot, tattooed skin. The barista whimpered in response, feeling the large hands toying with his body and well, probably his dignity at the same time, because Rhys was already losing his mind and there wasn't even anything inside him yet. He needed something inside of him though, and as if to let his teacher know he was reaching a hand back and desperately grabbing at anything before finding his belt, giving it a firm tug, Jack giving a laugh in response. "A little eager?"

"Yeah," Rhys agreed hastily, though a pout formed over his lips, only growing when both hands left his skin. He made a noise of protest, lifting his forehead from the window to take a glance at the glass, Jack's eyes lowered before the kid was hearing a familiar click of what he knew had to be a cap of lube. What, he'd kept the stuff in his pocket or something? That was ... He didn't know why that turned him on. Probably because that meant Jack had probably been ready to fuck the barista anywhere he wanted, anywhere in Jack's own home, and that just ... Mm. Calm down Rhys.

"Spread your legs a little more for me baby boy - just like that, good boy," Jack murmured, and the younger male felt his thighs weaken at the praise. Good lord. He bit his lip in anticipation, taking a breath as one hand met with rounded flesh, other hand soon prodding at his entrance and pushing in without much of or, really any, warning. Rhys didn't even care - he moaned at the pressure and pushed back into Jack's hand, earning a pleased chuckle from the man behind him.

"Christ, kiddo. You're tight as hell - this pretty little ass hasn't been properly filled up in a while huh?" The dean inquired, as he hooked his finger just right to have Rhys absolutely keening.

"N-No - Not for ..." Fuck, how long had it been? Now that he thought about it, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to tell the truth here. He didn't want to sound like more of a lameass than he already was. Ugh, whatever. "Two years?"

"Two yea—Rhysie. You're tryna' tell me you deprived guys all over Helios of your sweet self for _two years_? That's practically a _crime_ ," the guy commented, and the auburn haired could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he pulled out to add a second finger.

"It's not like – I've just been busy!" Rhys tried to protest, though he couldn't put up much of a fight when he was interrupting himself with moans. Jack was curling his fingers and spreading them just right to have the poor kid's head spinning. He felt like he was about to fall out this damned window.

"Hmm. Well, whatever, I'm not complaining," he man shrugged, much too casual for what they were doing right now, and Rhys shivered as his shirt was pulled halfway down his arms so that Jack could kiss at his shoulder blades, and not to the younger's surprise actually, the ring of his scar again. It was kind of sweet, which was weird, because they were fuckbuddies and not boyfriends, but okay.

But fuck, Jack had added a third finger and _twisted_ \- Rhys didn't let himself get embarrassed as he moaned the guy's name, pushing his hips back into the lewd affection again and it seemed as soon as the pleasure was there it was gone again, Jack's fingers retreating from inside him. "Wait, Ja—"

"Calm down princess, pretty sure you're gonna' like what you're getting instead," came the interruption, and the barista heard the cap opening again. "Now I know you haven't done this in a while, so I'll try to be at least a little careful, really, but I've been ready to screw your brains out for five days now."

Woah. That was not something he expected to hear. He pegged Jack as the animalistic freak type in the bedroom - or well, he guessed currently the living room - all rough poundings and sore everythings, but ... Well. He couldn't say he was protesting this new information, again, it was sort of cute in a caring way, but Rhys pushed that thought aside as soon as it came. Jack was not cute. Jack was not caring. Not towards him.

"I'm not going to break," Rhys pointed out nonetheless, and he heard Jack give a snort behind him, head of his cock soon pushed up against Rhys' hole.

"No, but my windows might."

Wow. Yeah. Comforting thought.

Not that he was at all worried about that when the brunette pushed in all at once, leaving the kid to be a moaning, squirming, shaking mess. His stomach was tense, legs quivering, one hand pressed up against the window while the other wandered back again to overlap one of Jack's which rested on his hip. His face was on fire and there was a wetness in his eyes from the wave of pleasure, causing the city lights below them to blur and streak across the younger's vision.

That wasn't exactly careful, psh, but Jack seemed to at least wait and give the kid a couple long couple seconds to adjust before pulling his hips back and rocking them forward again. Rhys hung his head, finger's gripping tight at the older man's in a totally not affectionate and just totally casual way.

Totally.

"Shit, pumpkin. You are killing me back here," Jack huffed out, making it seem like the college grad wasn't the only one pretty done in for barely even getting into this yet. "Makes me wish I could have found you years ago."

"It would - would have been illegal years ago," Rhys gasped out, trying to maintain his smartass composure though it was anything but easy in this state. Probably wasn't very convincing either, but still got Jack to chuckle behind him, which dammit, he'd been doing a lot, before pushing into a particularly good stop that had Rhys practically falling apart.

"Fuck- there- please," he begged, deciding he definitely wasn't above such a thing if it was Jack. Hell this guy could probably list out the kinkiest, most illegal, most regretful-in-the-morning shit ever and the kid wouldn't be able to not go right along with it. It was pretty irritating, but Jack was just an irritating person to begin with, someone who knew how to push Rhys' buttons in all the right ways.

"Damn – a beggar? Rhysie, baby, you are full of surprises," Jack purred, and Rhys was waiting for the 'and me' but it never came. The barista would mention how his teacher wasn't very predictable himself but he found his mouth a little preoccupied with noises when Jack's free hand wrapped around his hard on, wasting no time in thumbing at the tip like he'd already learned drove Rhys wild. And drive him wild it did. Along with the onslaught of attention to his prostate.

He was already nearing his peak. It was embarrassing, and he didn't want to admit it, but he decided it wasn't too unbearable when Jack's rhythm started to taper out of balance, Rhys pushing back to meet his thrusts when he wasn't bucking into the hand on his dick. The brunette had removed his hand from underneath the other male's, instead reaching up to card through the ends of styled auburn waves and give a light tug. Hell yeah – Rhys gave an appreciative groan in response, feeling teeth scrape at the side of his throat, and within minutes he was coming into the older man's firm grip. Jack followed along not soon after, coming _inside, Jesus Christ,_ before both of them were a panting mess leaning more of their weight into the window. This better be bullet proof glass or something.

"You … are one hell of a lay," Jack commented after a few long seconds, giving a laugh as one of his hands soothed over one of Rhys' sides. The kid just gave a quick hum in response, and after licking his lips he gave a quiet, "You too," before they were separating, Rhys biting his lips at the feeling of emptiness inside him.

"Let's go get us showered up, huh? Then I'll let you relax for a bit before heading home."

Oh. Oh, yeah, of course he'd go home tonight, why wouldn't he? Jack had only stayed the other night because he was feeling depressed – not that he'd worded it like that. But still, it's not like Rhys had expected to be staying. Maybe just … hoping. Wait, why? Stop it, Christ.

They simply slipped any fabric on Rhys off the rest of the way before Jack was leading him to the master bathroom, or whatever these fancy penthouse people called it, getting the shower going while Jack stripped the rest of his own clothes off before they were both stepping inside. There was no kinky happenings today, the poor kid looked too deliciously exhausted for any more rounds, instead the older man just gently helped lather up his still slightly burning skin with some expensive smelling body wash, Rhys shuddering at the thought that he'd smell like _Jack_ until he decided to take a shower again, or the smell just wore off. He didn't want it to.

Soon they were slipping out again, towels around their waists, Rhys following the man around like some lost puppy as they made it to Jack's bedroom – he'd gotten laughed at for the look on his face, but he didn't care, marveling in the size of the place which was probably in comparison probably about the size of he and Vaughn's living room. And he thought Vaughn made a lot of money.

"Close your mouth already kiddo, keep that jaw rested for other things," Jack snorted, and the kid was snapping his mouth closed quick, averting his eyes before he was having clothes tossed at his face. Wait – clothes? "I'm like, what, two inches taller than you? The hoodie might be a little baggy but the sweats should do just fine. Even with your long, hot ass legs."

Oh my god. Rhys got to wear Jack's fucking clothes.

… He was going to jerk one out to this, he didn't even care, this was just so many of his fantasies all wrapped into one and he couldn't right now.

Taking a gulp and giving a nod, Rhys just dropped his towel and slipped the clothes on, maple and cinnamon becoming more apparent, and he took a deep, silent breath. Fucking hell. He might get hard all over again. He glanced around for a second before spotting Jack's hamper, deciding to just grab the older man's already discarded towel along with his own and toss those in there, of course earning some comment about being some sexy French maid and, "Ohoh, I'm totally gonna' order one of those dresses for you."

"I am _not_ putting on a dress," Rhys protested, pout quick to push at his lips as he watched the man slip on some nightwear of his own, earning a smirk from the dean. "Or heels, or anything remotely female – not doing it."

"Aww, kiddo, not even if I beg? Oh, wait, I forgot, you're the beggar," he teased, and before the auburn haired male could protest he was being hushed with one of the man's index fingers. "Shut up. Now let's go find a movie before you go, huh? C'mon," Jack instructed, and Rhys blinked before following after.

First a shower, then Jack's clothes, and now a movie. He was getting pretty fucking spoiled for this just being about the sex but he wasn't about to start complaining. Jack had a small private theater in this penthouse of his too, and who the hell would pass that up? Not this guy.


End file.
